Case Scenario Kinshasa Abroad—African Cuisine and Culture Youlou Kabasella owned and operated a restaurant and nightclub in Kinshasa, Zaire, for nearly 14 years. The restaurant’s menu was filled with popular dishes and drinks from the region. In addition to his food and bev- erage services, Mr. Kabasella provided a dance floor and live Zairian/Congolese rumba and soukous music. While the popularity of most musical styles in Africa were largely confined to specific countries or regions, rumba and soukous were popular throughout the African continent. Anticipating increased political turmoil, Mr. Kabasella and his family left Zaire in 1995 and ended up living with relatives in Dayton, Ohio. Soon thereafter, they moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked odd jobs to make ends meet. A Columbus businessperson befriended him and offered to loan him the capital necessary to establish a new restaurant. In 2003, Mr. Kabasella opened Kinshasa Abroad in the downtown area of Columbus. Like his former restaurant, it has a dance floor and features Zairian/Congolese rumba and soukous music. On most nights, recorded music from the top artists of the genre is played. There are, however, a few Congolese bands, such as Tabu Ley Rochereau & Orchestra Afrisa International and Les Quatre Etoiles (The Four Stars), that occasionally tour the United States and as a favor to their fellow countryman (Mr. Kabasella) play at Kinshasa Abroad whenever they are in the area. A cover of $10 is charged when there are live acts, but there is otherwise no cover charge. The res- taurant has 20 quads (tables for four), 15 deuces (tables for two), and larger parties can be accommodated by pushing tables together. Mr. Kabasella and his wife prepare and serve a variety of African entrees. Some of their specialties include Peanut Stew, Beef and Greens in Peanut Sauce, Muamba Nsusu (Congo chicken soup), Malay Curry (stewed lamb in a curry sauce), Samaki wa Kupaka (grilled fish in a coconut-tamarind sauce), Nyama Choma (roasted spare ribs seasoned with curry), and Liboke de Poisson (fish in banana leaf). The entrees are accompanied by various African side dishes such as Plantains in Coconut Milk, Baton de Manioc and Chikwangue (made from cassava tubers), Irio (peas, pota- toes, corn, and greens), Maharagwe (red beans), and Mbaazi wa Nazi (pigeon peas in coconut milk). The Kabasellas also serve a variety of soft drinks imported from Africa along with the usual American beverages found in casual dining restaurants. When contemplating opening the restaurant, Mr. Kabasella had predicted it would generate immedi- ate interest due to the cultural diversity in the Columbus area. Moreover, because of the restaurant’s proximity to Ohio State University, he thought there would be a high level of awareness and interest in African cuisine and music. Despite his optimism, and the ads he regularly places in local and school newspapers, Mr. Kabasella has been discouraged by the fact that customer turnout and revenue have been far short of what had been projected.

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